Penitent: InuYasha Fanfic Volume 1
Chapter 8
Three days. It had been three days since Kagome had run out of the forest. Three days since she had gone back to her world. Three lonely, grief-filled days.
Inu-Yasha sighed as he shifted his folded arms. He was sitting on a branch of the tree by Kaede's hut, brooding as he had done for the past three days. Three days. He sighed again and looked up with sad eyes to the sky, wondering what Kagome was doing. He thought of her often enough. Those beautiful eyes... the lips he wanted to press hiw own to... the hair he wanted to feel underneath his fingers. Her scent... she had a nice scent. He wanted to take her into his arms and never let go. He wouldn't let go, not like the time she ran away to her own world, three days ago. Three days. He didn't think such a short amount of time could ever seem so long.
Sango and Miroku were not far, watching Inu-Yasha with worry etched in their faces. Inu-Yasha had noticed them, but hadn't moved to berate them, or ask what they wanted. It was very much unlike him.
"Do you think we should do something?" Sango whispered to Miroku.
Miroku sighed like Inu-Yasha. "No. There is nothing we can do. Kagome doesn't want to be a burden for Inu-Yasha, since she is the reason Kikyou was killed, and because she thinks that anyone can hurt Inu-Yasha through her. Inu-Yasha won't push her because he knows she's hurting, though he is hurting also. He's being unusually sensitive."
"He is. I suppose he wants to treat Kagome right after finding he could lose her anytime..."
"I suppose." He paused. "Kagome, however, seems to be unusually selfish."
"You mean she doesn't care about Inu-Yasha's feelings, and that she only wants to preserve him, even though it hurts him?"
"Right."
"Then that is not selfish."
"What? Yes it is. As long as she's happy..."
"But she is thinking of him."
"I suppose you could argue it both ways then."
"Yes. That's right."
"IF YOU'RE QUITE DONE!?!?" Inu-Yasha yelled from the tree. "I can hear you all the way from here!"
...
Kagome tapped her pencil on the notebook in front of her absently. It was the last period of the day, and she wanted to leave. She looked with bleary eyes out the window. What was... Her head snapped back to the notebook as she willed herself to stop thinking of him. It was over. Through. She couldn't go back now.
"Huh?"
"Ms. Higurashi. Please pay attention." The teacher had asked her to recite from the book. "Ms. Kinomoto, if you could please?"
"Hai, sensei." Sakura stood up, but only after flashing a worried look in Kagome's direction. She'd been her friend her whole life, and only now had she ever seen Kagome look so sad and tired. She continued to read from the book as Kagome's eyes drifted out the window once more.
Syaoran and Tomoyo also searched Kagome's face, trying to keep her from niticing. They didn't need to go thorugh the effort - Kagome wouldn't have noticed if a rat bit her on the nose. She just... went blank. They turned back to their books as the teacher droned on.
...
Kikyou knew she was close. She could almost smell Inu-Yasha. That damn bitch, Kagome, was probably with him. Well, they could just die.
She touched her sleeve, where the blood that had poured out of her had stained it. Luckily it wasn't hard in when the farmer had tended to her. Her eyes glazed as she remembered.
~~~
The smell of blood reached her nostrils as soon as she awoke. Her eyes opened quickly and took in her surroundings. She touched her side gingerly and winced, though she was a bit surprised she could bleed.
She stood up as quickly as she could and limped to a village nearby. There, she encountered a farmer, wiling away a break from the fields as he sat on the gorund near the first row. His nose immediately caught the scent of much blood, and turning around, he saw the priestess and healer that had helped his daughter survive the strain of disease that had infected his village a few years ago. He hurried towards her, spotting the red stain even before he caught the falling priestess. He called over a few hired hands who heped him put Kikyou on a cot in the chief's house. He had his daughter tend to Kikyou, since he knew nothing about healing and his daughter was a skilled healer.
A day later, the priestess had stood up in the middle of the night and left after saying a quick goodbye and thank you.
~~~
She could still remember the hate that filled her every pore. She wanted to kill Inu-Yasha. And that bitch. That was what brought her on this road. To the village she grew up in. To the village that Inu-Yasha was staying at. To kill him.
When she finally arrived there, she couldn't find Inu-Yasha. Only wondering stares and shaking heads as the villagers remembered that she was dead. This was only someone who looked coincidentally like her. She smirked to herself and moved on, following a path to the waterfall in the forest.
He had always liked the waterfalls. She didn't know why, but he did. Surely he was there.
...
Inu-Yasha stretched without feeling as he sat at the top of the waterfall. After receiving glares from both Miroku and Sango, he had started to walk here. He knew he shouldn't have yelled at them. He knew they were watching. He didn't have the energy to curse them, but when they started to analyze his relationship with Kagome at that point... he snapped. What right did they have?! They didn't know his pain. His longing. He wanted her. Needed her. He hadn't been eating or sleeping for the past three days. Three days. He hated that number.
So here he was, at the waterfalls. They always calmed him. He hoped the sound would drown out any thoughts he had of her. He needed time for himself, after all. But they didn't. Kagome's image kept pooping into his head. She was smiling, laughing... then crying, grieving... then embracing him. He could almost feel her warmth. Unconsciously, he made as if to wrap his arms around her form, but only met empty air. He snapped back to reality and cursed himself, though not as heartily as he would have liked. He didn't care what he did. He just wanted her.
...
"He's gone." Sango let out a breath and turned to Miroku, who was sitting at the table, sipping tea.
"Yes, I know. He hasn't yelled ever since we glared at him." He sipped some more.
"Where are Ayame and Kaede?"
"I believe they are gone to the village to buy food."
"Oh." SHe was disappointed. She had wanted to play with Ayame and hear her call her "Kaa-chan" again. Oh well. That would have to wait.
"Sango." She jumped when she heard her own name whispered in her ear. She felt Miroku's arms slide around her waist (he was behind her) as she automatically leaned back to Miroku's embrace. Her head tilted as Miorku's mouth ran along her neck.
"Miroku...?"
"Ayame's out. Kaede is out. Inu-Yasha is out. So are Shippou and Kagome. This may not be the right time, but this place..." His mouth cruised over to her ear. "This place... we have it all to ourselves. And we haven't done anything since Ayame's birth." His hands gently moved towards the slip of her kimono and slipped inside. She felt his fingers tease her skin, sending shivers of pleasure racing up and down her spine.
"Restless, I see?"
"I can't believe you didn't notice before."
"You gave no indication."
"I am very good at that." His voice grew huskier, no longer masking his desire.
Sango turned around his arms as Miroku gently pushed her against the wall. He brought his lips on hers, teasing them by pulling away and coming back quickly. Sango didn't mind. She only brought her hands up and around his neck, playing with his hair. Miroku, unable to hold out any longer, clamped his mouth on hers in a firm kiss. It was only unfortunate that Sango needed to breathe. As she opened her mouth and tired to pull away, a slick, wet thing slid into her mouth and played with her tongue. She moaned a little in surprise as she realized what it was. Her fingers tightened in Miroku's hair and he gave a small yelp of protest. Sango broke the kiss as she giggled.
"Gomen," she whispered. Miroku responded by bringing his mouth near her throat, kissing a little here... sucking a little there... sending more shivers down Sango's spine... pressing her harder into the wall...
"Kaa-chan!" Kaede and Ayame were still a ways off. Perhaps 10 yards. Miroku kissed Sango swiftly and hard before the two pulled apart. Sango closed the gap in her kimono Miroku had left, then swiftly strode by him, licking his ear a little.
"Later," she murmured, before going out to meet Ayame.
...
Inu-Yasha sighed again. He had tried, unsuccessfully, for the past half hour, to think about anything but Kagome. The memory only hurt him more. The pain in his heart was becoming heavier by the second. He groaned a little as her image popped into his head, this time of her riding her metal cart. At that moment, a familiar scent reached his nose. The supoosedly dead scent of bones and earth, mixed with blood this time. His head snpped up but he didn't turn around.
"Hello, Inu-Yasha," a voice behind him said.
Chapter 8
Three days. It had been three days since Kagome had run out of the forest. Three days since she had gone back to her world. Three lonely, grief-filled days.
Inu-Yasha sighed as he shifted his folded arms. He was sitting on a branch of the tree by Kaede's hut, brooding as he had done for the past three days. Three days. He sighed again and looked up with sad eyes to the sky, wondering what Kagome was doing. He thought of her often enough. Those beautiful eyes... the lips he wanted to press hiw own to... the hair he wanted to feel underneath his fingers. Her scent... she had a nice scent. He wanted to take her into his arms and never let go. He wouldn't let go, not like the time she ran away to her own world, three days ago. Three days. He didn't think such a short amount of time could ever seem so long.
Sango and Miroku were not far, watching Inu-Yasha with worry etched in their faces. Inu-Yasha had noticed them, but hadn't moved to berate them, or ask what they wanted. It was very much unlike him.
"Do you think we should do something?" Sango whispered to Miroku.
Miroku sighed like Inu-Yasha. "No. There is nothing we can do. Kagome doesn't want to be a burden for Inu-Yasha, since she is the reason Kikyou was killed, and because she thinks that anyone can hurt Inu-Yasha through her. Inu-Yasha won't push her because he knows she's hurting, though he is hurting also. He's being unusually sensitive."
"He is. I suppose he wants to treat Kagome right after finding he could lose her anytime..."
"I suppose." He paused. "Kagome, however, seems to be unusually selfish."
"You mean she doesn't care about Inu-Yasha's feelings, and that she only wants to preserve him, even though it hurts him?"
"Right."
"Then that is not selfish."
"What? Yes it is. As long as she's happy..."
"But she is thinking of him."
"I suppose you could argue it both ways then."
"Yes. That's right."
"IF YOU'RE QUITE DONE!?!?" Inu-Yasha yelled from the tree. "I can hear you all the way from here!"
...
Kagome tapped her pencil on the notebook in front of her absently. It was the last period of the day, and she wanted to leave. She looked with bleary eyes out the window. What was... Her head snapped back to the notebook as she willed herself to stop thinking of him. It was over. Through. She couldn't go back now.
"Huh?"
"Ms. Higurashi. Please pay attention." The teacher had asked her to recite from the book. "Ms. Kinomoto, if you could please?"
"Hai, sensei." Sakura stood up, but only after flashing a worried look in Kagome's direction. She'd been her friend her whole life, and only now had she ever seen Kagome look so sad and tired. She continued to read from the book as Kagome's eyes drifted out the window once more.
Syaoran and Tomoyo also searched Kagome's face, trying to keep her from niticing. They didn't need to go thorugh the effort - Kagome wouldn't have noticed if a rat bit her on the nose. She just... went blank. They turned back to their books as the teacher droned on.
...
Kikyou knew she was close. She could almost smell Inu-Yasha. That damn bitch, Kagome, was probably with him. Well, they could just die.
She touched her sleeve, where the blood that had poured out of her had stained it. Luckily it wasn't hard in when the farmer had tended to her. Her eyes glazed as she remembered.
~~~
The smell of blood reached her nostrils as soon as she awoke. Her eyes opened quickly and took in her surroundings. She touched her side gingerly and winced, though she was a bit surprised she could bleed.
She stood up as quickly as she could and limped to a village nearby. There, she encountered a farmer, wiling away a break from the fields as he sat on the gorund near the first row. His nose immediately caught the scent of much blood, and turning around, he saw the priestess and healer that had helped his daughter survive the strain of disease that had infected his village a few years ago. He hurried towards her, spotting the red stain even before he caught the falling priestess. He called over a few hired hands who heped him put Kikyou on a cot in the chief's house. He had his daughter tend to Kikyou, since he knew nothing about healing and his daughter was a skilled healer.
A day later, the priestess had stood up in the middle of the night and left after saying a quick goodbye and thank you.
~~~
She could still remember the hate that filled her every pore. She wanted to kill Inu-Yasha. And that bitch. That was what brought her on this road. To the village she grew up in. To the village that Inu-Yasha was staying at. To kill him.
When she finally arrived there, she couldn't find Inu-Yasha. Only wondering stares and shaking heads as the villagers remembered that she was dead. This was only someone who looked coincidentally like her. She smirked to herself and moved on, following a path to the waterfall in the forest.
He had always liked the waterfalls. She didn't know why, but he did. Surely he was there.
...
Inu-Yasha stretched without feeling as he sat at the top of the waterfall. After receiving glares from both Miroku and Sango, he had started to walk here. He knew he shouldn't have yelled at them. He knew they were watching. He didn't have the energy to curse them, but when they started to analyze his relationship with Kagome at that point... he snapped. What right did they have?! They didn't know his pain. His longing. He wanted her. Needed her. He hadn't been eating or sleeping for the past three days. Three days. He hated that number.
So here he was, at the waterfalls. They always calmed him. He hoped the sound would drown out any thoughts he had of her. He needed time for himself, after all. But they didn't. Kagome's image kept pooping into his head. She was smiling, laughing... then crying, grieving... then embracing him. He could almost feel her warmth. Unconsciously, he made as if to wrap his arms around her form, but only met empty air. He snapped back to reality and cursed himself, though not as heartily as he would have liked. He didn't care what he did. He just wanted her.
...
"He's gone." Sango let out a breath and turned to Miroku, who was sitting at the table, sipping tea.
"Yes, I know. He hasn't yelled ever since we glared at him." He sipped some more.
"Where are Ayame and Kaede?"
"I believe they are gone to the village to buy food."
"Oh." SHe was disappointed. She had wanted to play with Ayame and hear her call her "Kaa-chan" again. Oh well. That would have to wait.
"Sango." She jumped when she heard her own name whispered in her ear. She felt Miroku's arms slide around her waist (he was behind her) as she automatically leaned back to Miroku's embrace. Her head tilted as Miorku's mouth ran along her neck.
"Miroku...?"
"Ayame's out. Kaede is out. Inu-Yasha is out. So are Shippou and Kagome. This may not be the right time, but this place..." His mouth cruised over to her ear. "This place... we have it all to ourselves. And we haven't done anything since Ayame's birth." His hands gently moved towards the slip of her kimono and slipped inside. She felt his fingers tease her skin, sending shivers of pleasure racing up and down her spine.
"Restless, I see?"
"I can't believe you didn't notice before."
"You gave no indication."
"I am very good at that." His voice grew huskier, no longer masking his desire.
Sango turned around his arms as Miroku gently pushed her against the wall. He brought his lips on hers, teasing them by pulling away and coming back quickly. Sango didn't mind. She only brought her hands up and around his neck, playing with his hair. Miroku, unable to hold out any longer, clamped his mouth on hers in a firm kiss. It was only unfortunate that Sango needed to breathe. As she opened her mouth and tired to pull away, a slick, wet thing slid into her mouth and played with her tongue. She moaned a little in surprise as she realized what it was. Her fingers tightened in Miroku's hair and he gave a small yelp of protest. Sango broke the kiss as she giggled.
"Gomen," she whispered. Miroku responded by bringing his mouth near her throat, kissing a little here... sucking a little there... sending more shivers down Sango's spine... pressing her harder into the wall...
"Kaa-chan!" Kaede and Ayame were still a ways off. Perhaps 10 yards. Miroku kissed Sango swiftly and hard before the two pulled apart. Sango closed the gap in her kimono Miroku had left, then swiftly strode by him, licking his ear a little.
"Later," she murmured, before going out to meet Ayame.
...
Inu-Yasha sighed again. He had tried, unsuccessfully, for the past half hour, to think about anything but Kagome. The memory only hurt him more. The pain in his heart was becoming heavier by the second. He groaned a little as her image popped into his head, this time of her riding her metal cart. At that moment, a familiar scent reached his nose. The supoosedly dead scent of bones and earth, mixed with blood this time. His head snpped up but he didn't turn around.
"Hello, Inu-Yasha," a voice behind him said.